


Well, That's Unexpected

by Galindrael



Series: A Very Dragon Age Christmas [13]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: DECFANFIC, Day thirteen, F/M, Fluff, Snowmen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-14
Updated: 2014-12-14
Packaged: 2018-03-01 11:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2770697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Galindrael/pseuds/Galindrael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After staying up too late one night, Cullen swears he sees movement below, but ignores it. When he wakes up the next morning, he really wish he hadn't.</p><p>For the #DecFanFic challenge.</p><p>There are currently 22 parts to this series, the link, for some reason is broken- sorry for the issue, I'm trying to fix it (as of 1 February 2015)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Well, That's Unexpected

Cullen had spent a longer time in his office than he meant to for the night. His candles were all but stubs by the time he managed to finally decide he would collapse on the bed next to Scáthach. He grabbed a few papers that were too sensitive to leave in his office and locked the doors behind him. Dark shadows caught his attention below in the courtyard. He immediately walked over to the ledge to look down but could see nothing in what little glow the tavern’s lights offered. When he was convinced that it was just a trick of light and nothing more he continued on his way.

He flinched when the door from Solas’ mural room to the keep’s main hall groaned loudly as he pushed it open and was relieved to find that not even the resident night owl, Varric, was not in his usual seat but he swore he heard whispering from behind one of the doors. Cullen almost opened the door from where the whispers came from to tell them to carry on elsewhere but he stopped short _Lovers seeking warmth in the middle of such a cold night, perhaps? I can’t blame them for that, Maker knows Scáthach and I have done similar things._ Cullen just smiled and made his way up to their room and tried his best to not wait his sleeping Inquisitor. He quietly set the papers down and the desk and grabbed his pipe and made for the side of the keep that the wind was not so harsh.

When he did manage to get his hands to stop shaking from the bite of winter he lit his pipe and leaned back onto the wall before he immediately pushed off of it. _Nope, too cold._ Cullen pulled his furs closer around him and kept puffing on his pipe, pacing to keep his body warmer. When he finished off the tobacco in his pipe he walked to the balcony bannister and hit the pipe against it until its spent contents spilled out and Cullen swept it off the ledge. Again, down below he saw shadow-y figures dancing about the courtyard too haphazardly to be guardsmen. When he spotted a guardsman below he felt more reassured that since he was not chasing after shadows, neither is he.

Cullen came back in and shirked off his furs, setting them to dry off by the fireside. Cullen changed into his night clothes, added more wood to the fire and slipped into bed next to Scáthach. He pulled her closer to him and wrapped his body around hers, shamelessly stealing the warmth her body offered.  
“Mmm, I know those cold hands anywhere. Finally came to bed, did you?” Cullen mentally blamed himself for waking her, “Yes, I had a lot to do with all the new missives these past few days. Sorry, love,” he kissed her shoulder, he continued, “I’ll be up early tomorrow to finish the last of the stack then everything will be back to normal. I’ll try not to wake you,” she acknowledged him with a sleepy ‘Mhm’ then he laid back down, and fell asleep faster than usual.

 

It was the sun that woke him up. Cullen groaned as he realized that he had definitely slept in. Scáthach was still sound asleep next to him so he got up as fast as he could without waking her. He had intended to grab a quick breakfast at the tavern then head up to his office to try to start his work before training. As Cullen got down a few steps that’s when he saw them. Maker, they were everywhere. _Snowmen?! What in all of Thedas?_ Cullen looked around and they were there no matter which direction he turned. There was even one on the roof of the tavern. His troops all began to filter out of their quarters all too dumbstruck to say anything. Cullen looked to the center of the training ring and saw the snowmen were made to appear as if they were fighting; sword in hand and each with a helmet on their heads. Well, they will not be training with this mess in the way. Cullen sighed and put on the façade of Commander.

“Who did this?!” He shouted. The troops startled at his sudden shouting. He made his way down the last of the steps from Skyhold. “Well, who-” Cullen stopped when he saw a tall snowman surrounded by a herd of much smaller snowmen; the larger snowmen stuck out as, upon its head, was Cullen’s lion helmet. _So that's where it went._  He heard snickering from coming from the bush on the corner and reached into the bush. When Cullen felt cloth he grabbed onto it and with all his might yanked the person out. _Sera._ She was outright laughing now despite the fact that he dropped her in the snow.

“Oh, it was worth it just to see your face!” She kept laughing and now his troops were snickering.

“I should not have even wondered otherwise,” he offered her his hand but she just jumped up and dusted off the snow, “So, how long did that take you?”

“Oh, it wasn’t just me, yea” She was still trying to suppress her laughter.

 

Cullen shot a look at the snickering soldiers, “If you can laugh, you can clear the training circle”. They stopped laughing and Cullen snapped his fingers then pointed to the training ring and they began to work.

“Oi, if you can get them to do that you should get them to like dance or do tricks,” Cullen rolled his eyes and folded his arms, “Right, be off then,” Sera started making her way back to the tavern when she felt the back of her shirt tug.

“You’re not clear of this just yet,” Cullen laughed when she obnoxiously whined loudly, “Now, go get your accomplices to get the one off the roof and destroy the rest of snowmen away from the training area”.

“Alright, Dad,” she wretched herself from his grip and made her way back to the tavern. Cullen was not surprised at all when the Chargers came out heads down but laughing.  Bull hoisted Sera up onto the roof and she just kicked out down on top of the Qunari who just burst out laughing as she did.  Cullen’s troops just cleared out the ring and he barked orders for them to start their routine. Sera and the Chargers began to clean up the mess they made when he caught the familiar scent of vanilla and chamomile just before he felt an arm snake around his.

 

“I rather like that snowman, I think he should stay,” Cullen looked to Scáthach who was admiring the snowman with his helmet on.

“Oh?” he turned to Scáthach who was wrapped in his spare furs. Seeing her in his clothes, walking so freely about the courtyard made his heart swell; she liked for others to know she was his and he loved that about her. He remembered the first time she showed him affection openly near the troops, and the talk he heard for the next week about it. All she did was lightly grab his forearm and fix a bit of his pauldrons that had folded under, but, apparently the maids lost their minds when he had tucked in a strand of her hair that had fallen out and then failed to release the ribbon on her dress from his hand until it slipped out of it as she left his company. Initially he hated the gossip but to hear about how she would watch him from the tower with him completely unawares or how he’d, apparently, station himself between her and any one he felt was a threat to her- physically becoming her shield. It was little gestures he wasn’t aware of doing until he heard them whispered, and it was a surprise that he still heard of them after more than a year together.

Scáthach liked to push him, he knew, and even among the chaos of the morning today was no exception. She seemed to enjoy making him blush and he thought it partially to do with his usual reaction later in the day. At the current moment everyone was distracted cleaning up after the snowmen and she was now facing him, her arms now around his neck and his around her waist.  She pulled her hands back to place them in his furs and pulled him down to her. He closed his eyes and he could feel her breath on his lips, but the contact never came. He opened his eyes to see her slightly pull back and smirk at him. _No, you don’t_. This time he grabbed her, rather, his furs and pulled her to him so he could kiss her. It was just a quick kiss, practically just a peck, but nonetheless he had done it.

“Yea, _Commander_ ,” Bull laughed, Dorian by his side rolling his eyes at Bull, and despite himself Cullen found himself _wanting_ to do it again even with people now looking since Bull shifted attention to them. Let them have the show they teased him for; “ _You’re always so chaste,” “Bit of a prude, yea?” “Do you actually ever have fun?”._ So, Maker help him, he did.

 

 Cullen, quiet suddenly, placed his hands on either side of Scáthach’s face and kissed her. Not just the quick, chaste kisses they would share on occasion but the ones he’d share in private with her- all want and no reservations. Scáthach wasn’t expecting it and he heard her breath hitch. He placed an arm behind her back and barely lowered her body, enough for her place some weight actually on it. When he pulled her back upright, she stood there frozen and blushing madly.

“There,” Cullen looked to Bull, Dorian and Sera, “ _Now_ will you all shut up about it”.

 

“Well, now that we know you’re capable of _that_ , probably not,” Dorian laughed and Sera cackled madly.

“Wow, kind of in to it,” Bull admitted with a straight face.

“Yea, Lion of Skyhold getting’ it,” Sera mocked while wildly dipping her hips and moving her arms.

 

“What was that about,” Scáthach finally spoke.

“The snowmen. It was frustrating because that meant training would be delayed. And then you pulled back from the kiss, more frustrating, so..” Cullen found himself rubbing the back of his neck.

“Well, I should thank them for annoying you,” she smiled.

“Yes, you should,” he leaned down to whisper, “I guess you’ll find out how frustrated I still am later tonight”, he pulled back from her and when he saw the pink on her cheeks, he smiled and walked off to finally start morning training. Suddenly Scáthach couldn’t wait for the day to come to an end.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted something stupid and happy. And I really wanted to acknowledge the helmet ;3


End file.
